The U.S. Census' 2007 American Community Survey shows about 30,000 people of recent African ancestry living in the Triangle and Triad. That figure and rising U.S. trade with sub-Saharan Africa led more than 50 representatives of African-operated businesses in the two metropolitan areas to form the N.C. Africa Chamber of Commerce, which had its grand opening last weekend in Durham.

"It was very positive," Dr. John Kitoko, board chairman of ACC and campus dean for Strayer University, said of the meeting attended by U.S. Rep. Brad Miller from Raleigh. "People were very much impressed to find that Congressman Miller was in Africa this summer," Kitoko said. Miller visited Sudan's Darfur region as part of a congressional delegation.

Kitoko said no specific business initiatives resulted from the meeting, nor was there an immediate jump in membership, which is now just over 10. But he said the first steps are being made to contact African chambers of commerce on how to conduct trade in the U.S. "Trade does not come about overnight," he said. "This is a process."

The N.C. Africa Chamber -- there are similarly named African chambers throughout the state and nation -- will link area entrepreneurs, professionals and business owners with African governments and businesses in 40 sub-Saharan nations through governmental and trade contacts, a newsletter and databases. See www.ncafricachamber.org.

"The degree of underdevelopment of sub-Saharan nations means that there are untapped opportunities in any sector of business," said Kitoko, who is a native of the Congo (formerly Zaire). "We encourage anyone who wants to do business with ACC to join us, and we promise to welcome them with open arms."

The 2007 American Community Survey shows 19,897 people of recent African ancestry in the Triangle and 10,568 people in the Triad. Kitoko projects an African population of 50,000 in the two metropolitan areas in five years, based on his organization's analysis of secondary data.

Recent figures on the effect of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which was enacted in 2000 to foster U.S. trade with nations south of the Sahara Desert, shows substantial increases.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative reports that in 2007 U.S. total exports to sub-Saharan Africa totaled $14.4 billion, more than double the amount in 2001. During the same time, U.S. total imports from sub-Saharan Africa more than tripled to $67.4 billion.

Last year, North Carolina was the top U.S. exporter to Niger with more than $9.7 million in goods.

The ACC offers an annual membership fee ranging from $100 to $500 depending on the number of employees in the business.

Plans for ACC began in June as Kitoko and about 20 others met every other weekend. Among the planners were George Polo, an attorney trained in the former Zaire who has worked with timber companies; Jean Francois, a former military officer in the former Zaire; and Osward Ward, who is from Sierra Leone and has a master's in public administration. A nightclub owner and a taxi service owner also have been involved.

Like many of the planners, Kitoko has advanced professional degrees. He earned an undergraduate degree from Winthrop University, a master's in Public Administration and Policy from NCCU and a Ph.D. in business administration from Capella University, an online university based in Minneapolis, Minn. He has been in the state for 25 years and moved to the Triangle from Charlotte in 1988.